Islamists protest Obama visit to Indonesia

Hundreds of Islamic hard-liners held a noisy but peaceful rally in front of the US Embassy to protest the upcoming visit of President Barack Obama to Indonesia.

Hundreds of Islamic hard-liners held a noisy but peaceful rally in front of the US Embassy to protest the upcoming visit of President Barack Obama to Indonesia.

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Some waved placards on Sunday criticising his policies in the Middle East.

They called on Obama to pull troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and stop "blind support" for Israel.

Ismail Yusanto, member of a group pushing for the creation of an Islamic state in Indonesia, said Obama's policies were "no different" to his predecessor's, George W Bush.

Obama is due to arrive on Tuesday as part of his 10-day Asian tour. He is currently in India.

Despite the protest, Obama is wildly popular in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, where he spent four years as a child.